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Ropes Mine

Producer in Marquette county in Michigan, United States with commodities Gold, Silver
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Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10085023
MRDS ID W700455
Record type Site
Current site name Ropes Mine
Related records 10219091

Comments on the site names

  • Combined with record W700595.

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -87.73335, 46.53611 (WGS84)
Relative position ABOUT 5.5 KM NW OF ISHPEMING
(click for info)

Geographic areas

Country State County
United States Michigan Marquette

Public Land Survey System information

Meridian Township Range Section Fraction State
Michigan T48N R27W 29 Michigan

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Gold Primary
Silver Primary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Gold Ore
Pyrite Gangue
Quartz Gangue
Calcite Gangue
Talc Gangue
Sericite Gangue

Alteration

  • (Local) Silicification, sericitization, pyritization, with subordinate chloritization

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 275
USGS model code Unassigned
Deposit model name Low-sulfide Au-quartz, Archean
Mark3 model number 101

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Metamorphic Rock > Phyllite
    Rock unit name Kitchi Formation
    Rock description Kitchi Formation
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Archean

Nearby scientific data

(1) -87.73335, 46.53611
ListMap

Geologic structures

Type of structure Local
Structure description Shear zones

Ore body information

  • General form VERTICAL TABULAR LENS
    Width 46M
    Length 610M

Comments on the geologic information

  • The 4 major rocks types in or immediately bounding the Ropes deposit are: 1) fine-grained quartz-sericite-chlorite rock, which encloses the ore; 2) fine-grained carbonate-quartz-chlorite rock; fine-grained massive to moderately foliated carbonate-talc rock; and 4) fine-grained serpentinized peridotite. The host quartz-sericite-chlorite rock is interpreted as an altered dacite tuff. Gold abundance is correlated with the presence of fine-grained pyrite. The two ore types are 1) gold associated with dispersed pyrite in quartz-sericite-chlorite rock (95% of ore) and 2) gold in quartz veins with tetrahedrite, pyrite, galena, and chalcopyrite (5% of ore). Interpreted as a dilatational bend in an E-NE trending dextralThe 4 major rocks types in or immediately bounding the Ropes deposit are: 1) fine-grained quartz-sericite-chlorite rock, which encloses the ore; 2) fine-grained carbonate-quartz-chlorite rock; fine-grained massive to moderately foliated carbonate-talc rock; and 4) fine-grained serpentinized peridotite. The host quartz-sericite-chlorite rock is interpreted as an altered dacite tuff. Gold abundance is correlated with the presence of fine-grained pyrite. The two ore types are 1) gold associated with dispersed pyrite in quartz-sericite-chlorite rock (95% of ore) and 2) gold in quartz veins with tetrahedrite, pyrite, galena, and chalcopyrite (5% of ore). Interpreted as a dilatational bend in an E-NE trending dextral shear zone -- also along the trend of a W-NW trending shear zone in the tuff and lahar unit of the Kitchi Formation.

Economic information

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Producer
Commodity type Metallic
Significant Yes
Discovery year 1880
Discoverer Julius Ropes
Year of first production 1882
Year of last production 1989

Mining district

District name Ishpeming Greenstone District

Ownership information

  • Type Owner
    Owner Callahan Mining Corporation
  • Type Operator
    Owner Callahan Mining Corporation

Production statistics

  • Year 1897
    Period 1882-1897
    Material ore Au Ag
    Ore mined 195mt
    Accuracy Estimate
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major recovered Au Gold Gold 1,029g
    Major recovered Ag Silver Silver 2,057g
  • Year 1897
    Period 1882-1897
    Accuracy Estimate
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major recovered Ag Silver Silver 6,200g
  • Year 1897
    Period 1882-1897
    Accuracy Estimate
    Importance Item Commodity Group Amount recovered Grade Recovery percentage
    Major recovered Au Gold Gold 1,250g

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1937
    Reserves 1,393
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 3.98 g/mt Gold Major 1937
  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1986
    Reserves 1,450
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Gold Au 3.7 g/mt Gold Major 1986
    Silver Ag 20 g/mt Silver Major 1986

Comments on the reserve resource information

  • LINE 2: THE ORE ZONE IS OPEN AT DEPTH.

Comments on development

  • OPERATED FROM 1882-1897; REOPENED IN 1934, BUT CLOSED SHORTLY THEREAFTER. CALLAHAN PURCHASED PROPERTY IN 1975, BEGAN EXPLORATION IN 1979, MADE DECISION TO DEVELOP MINE IN 1984; PRODUCTION BEGAN SEPT. 1985, IS 1,800 MT/DAY, EXPECTED OUTPUT 2,000 KG/YR AU. CALLAHAN MINING CEASED OPERATIONS SHORTLY AFTER A LARGE AREA ADJACENT TO THE HOIST SHAFT COLLAPSED IN EARLY 1990'S. EVENTUALLY ALL SHAFTS AND DECLINES WERE CAPPED AND CLOSED.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    BORNHORST, T.J., SHEPECK, A.W., AND ROSSELL, D.M., 1986, THE ROPES GOLD MINE, MARQUETTE COUNTY, MICHIGAN, U.S.A. - AN ARCHEAN HOSTED LODE GOLD DEPOSIT, IN MACDONALD, A.J., ED., PROCEEDINGS OF GOLD '86, AN INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON THE GEOLOGY OF GOLD: TORONTO, 1986, P. 213-227.

  • Deposit

    BROZDOWSKI, R.A., GLEASON, R.J., AND SCOTT, G.W., 1986, THE ROPES MINE: A PYRITIC GOLD DEPOSIT IN ARCHEAN VOLCANICLASTIC ROCK, ISHPEMING, MICHIGAN, U.S.A., IN MACDONALD, A.J., ED., PROCEEDINGS OF GOLD '86, AN INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON THE GEOLOGY OF GOLD: TORONTO, 1986, P. 228-242.

  • Deposit

    MINING MAGAZINE, JANUARY 1989, P. 44.

  • Deposit

    REED, R.C., 1991, ECONOMIC GEOLOGY AND HISTORY OF METALLIC MINERALS IN THE NORTHERN PENINSULA OF MICHIGAN; GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA, SPECIAL PAPER 256, P. 21-24.

  • Deposit

    JOHNSON, A.M. AND GROTH, E.H., 1998, INVENTORY OF UNDERGROUND MINES, MARQUETTE COUNTY, P. 411-415, SITE ID 520020, MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES.

  • Production

    LINES 15-17: BROZDOWSKI AND OTHERS, 1986, P. 228; LINES 18-19: BORNHORST AND OTHERS, 1986, P. 213.

  • Reserve-Resource

    LINE 1: BROZDOWSKI AND OTHERS, 1986, P. 228; LINE 2: BORNHORST AND OTHERS, 1986, P. 213.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit ORIGINALLY OPENED BY JULIUS ROPES, ROPES GOLD & SILVER CO., MICHIGAN COPPER MINING CO. (1897), CORRIGAN MCKINNEY (1897), CALUMET & HECLA MINING CO (1934), ARCADIAN MINE TOURS (1957), CALLAHAN MINING CO (1975). PRODUCTION IN 1897 WAS GOLD: $587,860; SILVER $57,931; TOTAL: $645,792; YIELD PER TON OF ROCK: $2.98 (CORRIGAN MCKINNEY 1900-01 USED CYANIDE TO LEACH OUT GOLD TAILINGS AROUND MINE PROPERTY)
Deposit STEEPLY DIPPING LENS 250 M IN STRIKE LENGTH, 12 M THICK, 250 M IN PRESENTLY DEFINED DOWN-DIP DIMENSION. THE ORE ZONE IS OPEN AT DEPTH. GOLD IN GANGUE OF MILKY QUARTZ VEINS IN PERIDOTITE; E-W TREND SERPENTINE, MARBLE, MAGNESIAN SCHISTS, GREENSTONE, QUARTZITE. AU MINERALIZATION CONSISTS OF HIGH GRADE (8-30 G/TONNE) EN ECHELON QUARTZ VEINS AND LOWER GRADE (4-10 G/TONNES); HIGHER TONNAGE ASSOCIATED WITH DISSEMINATED PYRITE. OREBODY CONTAINED IN A NARROW, RELATIVELY VERTICAL, TABULAR BODY OF ARCHEAN KEEWATIN SCHIST SEPARATING 2 MASSES OF PERIDOTITE SCHIST.

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-SEP-88 Paidakovich, Matthew E. U.S. Geological Survey
Reporter 01-AUG-89 Beougher, Dee (Spanski, Gregory T.) U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-MAR-97 Sutphin, D.M. U.S. Geological Survey
Editor 01-MAY-97 Mason Jr., G.T. U.S. Geological Survey
Editor 07-AUG-02 Anderson, Arlene (M. Gere) Michigan Department of Natural Resources